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Lauren Phelan

Make-Up Artist

Dr.Lipp talks to the gorgeous Lauren Phelan about all things beauty, best makeup advice and so much more!

Can you tell us about the chosen look? 

At the time I was stalking the amazing Terry Barber on Instagram and I loved his references for makeup looks. He takes inspiration from the absurd as well as the every day and I loved his tongue in cheek sense of humour about it all. I ADORE pick and mix sweets so this was inspired by one of my faves, rhubarb and custards. Any colour alongside pink makes me excited but the yellow just worked so well with the clothes rail on the day.

What products did you use to create the look?

It’s actually very simple. Veronika had great skin so I prepped with Neostrata ultra moisturising face cream which I massaged in. Then I just used a bit of Glossier skin tint like skincare and to generally even things out. Anything more would have looked too “done” and taken the edge off it. Then on the eyes I used a magenta lip liner from Mac and a great primary yellow from NYX which I use a lot. I topped it off with a few individual lashes for a nod to 60s mod makeup and some well moisturised lips so as not to compete with the eyes.

Any tips for anyone at home wanting to recreate a similar look? I would say this is predominantly all in the attitude. I’m a firm believer in anyone being able to wear anything if they own their look and wear it with pride. Cotton buds are going to be key. Dip one in some makeup remover and any mistakes can be cleaned up easily. Sketch out your shape with your eye open and keep checking back in the mirror from a distance to check for symmetry.

“I have so many uses for Dr.Lipp! I also love how classically simple it is. People recognise the brand and feel comfort that there’s no fragrance in the product that might irritate them. Usually when I get it out of my kit people say “oh I have that at home!”, they know and trust it.”

What would you say your signature beauty look is?

I think people book me for my perfected but not overly done skin and beauty looks that are classic but elevated. I tend to focus on simple elements on the face and pops of colour rather that throwing the whole kitchen sink at a look!

Here at Dr.Lipp, we make multi-use skincare solutions to keep life simple and reduce our carbon footprint – do you think it’s important to streamline your beauty kit?

I am a bit obsessed with making my kit smaller and smaller. I think you can work faster, smarter and more hygienically with less stuff around you. Having multi purpose products is instrumental for me. Also it saves my osteopath a lot of work!

What would you be doing if you were not a makeup artist?

I’d probably be working with food in some way or another. I bake and cook a lot, so probably something with that. Or if I could invent a career that involved travelling and eating my way round cities that would be perfect.

What items should everyone have in their kit?

At the moment, proper hygiene equipment so we can all do our job more safely. I’m passionate about good, professional practices being first and foremost at the foundations of what I do. Alongside that I think a great HD foundation palette which can cover global skin tones with adjusters like the RCMA palette enable you to work in most formats and on anyone who sits in your chair. Then great multi purpose products like the Danessa Myrics colourfix creams. You can use them as a shadow, blush, lip colour, liner, and they’re waterproof. That and a good lip balm and there’s nothing I couldn’t do!

Who is your dream client?

Right now, Janelle Monae. She has the most incredible face for makeup. I think her red carpet looks have something to say and I think we could create some amazing beauty looks with a twist. I don’t think you’d ever get bored of making her up. Plus her stage outfits are WILD so I think we could have some fun there.

Do you have any career highlights so far?

I think it would have to be makeup on Taylor Hill for a series of Lancome commercials. I got booked with absolutely no notice, the time constraints were intense and back then it was a huge deal for me. Taylor was only in town for one day so we had to shoot until very late. We got 4 commercials done in that timeframe. I still look back at those adverts and think “how did I manage all that?”

What is a day in the life like for you?

At the moment I go between my fruit and vegetable patch and whatever I’m currently reading. That’s pretty much it! It’s a much simpler life and I’ve really come to love it. Pre lockdown it was wildly different. If I wasn’t shooting I would generally be kit prepping for the next job, speaking to PRs about what I might need for upcoming projects. I’m a big organisation geek so even on a down day I would be finding ways to decant a product and make it even smaller. And all this is carried out whilst watching true crime documentaries.

 

What is the best piece of beauty advice you ever received and what is the best piece you could give?

Sunscreen is the most important product you put on. There’s no point spending hundreds on the fanciest lotions and potions if you aren’t going to protect your skin. Formulas have come a long way in the past few years so there’s no reason not to be wearing it!

What are your favourite uses for Dr.Lipp?

I love to use it to add shine to the face. Simply pressed in to the tops of the cheeks gives the most beautiful glow to the skin without any shimmer. The skin looks healthy and nourished. It’s a very chic way to highlight and I recommend everyone gives it a go.